US5997352A - Structure for retaining front holder in housing - Google Patents

Structure for retaining front holder in housing Download PDF

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Publication number
US5997352A
US5997352A US09/008,547 US854798A US5997352A US 5997352 A US5997352 A US 5997352A US 854798 A US854798 A US 854798A US 5997352 A US5997352 A US 5997352A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
housing
flexion
front holder
portions
preventing
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US09/008,547
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English (en)
Inventor
John James Newport
Hisashi Hanazaki
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Yazaki Corp
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Yazaki Corp
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Filing date
Publication date
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Assigned to YAZAKI CORPORATION reassignment YAZAKI CORPORATION ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: HANAZAKI, HISASHI, NEWPORT, JOHN JAMES
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US5997352A publication Critical patent/US5997352A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
    • H01R13/40—Securing contact members in or to a base or case; Insulating of contact members
    • H01R13/42—Securing in a demountable manner
    • H01R13/436—Securing a plurality of contact members by one locking piece or operation
    • H01R13/4364—Insertion of locking piece from the front
    • H01R13/4365—Insertion of locking piece from the front comprising a temporary and a final locking position
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
    • H01R13/40—Securing contact members in or to a base or case; Insulating of contact members
    • H01R13/42—Securing in a demountable manner
    • H01R13/422—Securing in resilient one-piece base or case, e.g. by friction; One-piece base or case formed with resilient locking means
    • H01R13/4223—Securing in resilient one-piece base or case, e.g. by friction; One-piece base or case formed with resilient locking means comprising integral flexible contact retaining fingers

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a structure for retaining a front holder in a housing.
  • the structure allows the front holder for preventing a terminal coming off to be retained in the housing while the front holder is inserted into the housing from an engagement surface side of the housing.
  • FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a conventional doubly retained connector which includes a housing and a front holder;
  • FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a condition in which the front holder is inclined in the housing;
  • FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a relation between a flexion preventing plate portion and a refuge space in the condition in which the front holder is inclined in the housing.
  • a doubly retained connector 1 shown in FIG. 6 has been disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 8-203592.
  • the connector 1 includes a housing 2 having a plurality of terminal receiving chambers 4 which are respectively receivable terminals therein, and a front holder 3 which is retained in the housing 2 from an engagement surface 2a side of the housing 2.
  • flexible retaining lances 5 extend from an inner wall of the terminal receiving chambers 4, respectively.
  • the retaining lances 5 have retaining stepped portions 6.
  • the retaining stepped portions 6 respectively retain the terminals 7 received in the terminal receiving chambers 4, so as to prevent terminals 7 coming off from the terminal receiving chambers 4.
  • the front holder 3 includes a frame-forming main-body portion 8 and a plurality of flexion preventing plates 9 formed integrally with the frame-forming main-body portion 8 so as to project from the frame-forming main-body portion 8.
  • the front holder 3 is inserted into the housing 2 from the engagement surface 2a of the housing 2 engageable with a mating connector. Furthermore, the front holder 3 is retained by the housing 2 at two positions, a regularly retained position and a temporarily retained position, with respect to the housing 2.
  • the flexion preventing plates 9 are respectively inserted into refuge spaces 10 under the retaining lances 5 in the terminal receiving chambers 4. Accordingly, inadvertent flexion of the retaining lances 5 can be prevented, and also the terminals 7 are doubly retained within the terminal receiving chambers 4.
  • the flexion preventing plates 9 are evacuated from the refuge spaces 10 under the retaining lances 5 in the terminal receiving chambers 4. Under this condition, if a terminal 7 is inserted into a terminal receiving chamber 4, the corresponding retaining lance 5 flexes. When the terminal 7 is further inserted to be accommodated at a predetermined position within the terminal receiving chamber 4, the retaining lance 5 returns to the original shape by its own resiliency to thereby cause the retaining stepped portion 6 of the retaining lance 5 to be retained by the terminal 7.
  • the retaining lance 5 can be forcibly flexed by a terminal releasing jig after moving the front holder 3 from the regularly retained position to the temporarily retained position. Accordingly, the terminal 7 can be pulled out of the terminal receiving chamber 4.
  • the front holder 3 when the front holder 3 is in the temporarily retained position with respect to the housing 2, the front holder 3 may be inclined with respect to the housing 2 due to play in a direction of width as shown in FIG. 7.
  • the front holder 3 When the front holder 3 is inclined, one side of the width direction of the front holder 3 may be inserted unnecessarily into the housing 2. Accordingly, end portions of the flexion preventing plates 9 are undesirably inserted into the refuge spaces 10 of the retaining lances 5 as shown in FIG. 8. Since the retaining lances 5 are not allowed to flex under this condition, the problem that a terminal 7 cannot be inserted into a terminal receiving chamber 4 arises.
  • the flexion preventing plates 9 regulate flexion of the retaining lance 5. From this arises the problem that the terminal 7 cannot be pulled out even if the front holder 3 is set in the temporarily retained position.
  • the object of the invention is to provide a structure for retaining a front holder in a housing in which the flexion preventing plates are prevented from being inadvertently inserted into the refuge spaces of the retaining lances by checking the front holder in the temporarily retained position from playing with respect to the housing.
  • a structure for retaining a front holder in a housing which includes: a housing including a flexible retaining lance arranged so as to extend from an inner wall of a terminal receiving chamber for receiving a terminal therein, the retaining lance serving to prevent the terminal coming off from the terminal receiving chamber while retaining the terminal; and a front holder including a flexion preventing plate portion arranged integrally so as to project from a frame-forming main-body portion and being retained by the housing from a surface of the housing engageable with a mating connector.
  • the flexion preventing plate portion In the structure for retaining the front holder in the housing, when the front holder is in a regularly retained position with respect to the housing, the flexion preventing plate portion is inserted into a refuge space formed under the retaining lance so as to prevent a possible flexion of the retaining lance to thereby doubly retain the terminal in the terminal receiving chamber, and further, when the front holder is in a temporarily retained position with respect to the housing, the flexion preventing plate portion is evacuated from the refuge space of the retaining lance to thereby allow the terminal to be inserted into the terminal receiving chamber.
  • an inclination preventing portion is arranged on the frame-forming main-body portion. The inclination preventing portion serves to block a possible entrance of the flexion preventing plate portion into the refuge space by checking the front holder in the temporarily retained position from playing with respect to the housing.
  • the inclination preventing portion checks the front holder in the temporarily retained position from being inclined with respect to the housing. Therefore, there is no possibility that the front holder will be inserted into the refuge space of the retaining lance inadvertently. Accordingly, when the front holder is in the temporarily retained position, a terminal can be inserted into and accommodated in a terminal receiving chamber reliably, and further the terminal can be pulled out of the terminal receiving chamber reliably by forcibly flexing the retaining lance.
  • the inclination preventing portions are arranged on both side portions in the width direction of the frame-forming main-body portion. Furthermore, the inclination preventing portions are extended portions to be inserted into guide groove portions arranged on both sides in the width direction of the housing.
  • the inclination preventing portions are arranged on both sides in the width direction of the frame-forming main-body portion and are inserted into the guide groove portions of the housing. Therefore, the front holder in the temporarily retained position is checked from playing with respect to the housing.
  • the frame-forming main-body portion includes a coupling plate portion and a frame plate portion, the coupling plate portion coupling a plurality of flexion preventing plate portions parallelly, the frame plate portion being disposed on both sides of the coupling plate portion so as to be orthogonal to the coupling plate portion; and the extended portions extend from the frame plate portion in the same direction as the flexion preventing plate portions.
  • the flexion preventing plate portions are inserted into the terminal receiving chambers, and further, the extended portions are inserted into the guide groove portions of the housing when the front holder is inserted into the housing from the engagement surface side of the housing.
  • the extended portions restrict the playing of the front holder with respect to the housing. Therefore, there is no possibility that the flexion preventing plate portions will be inserted into the refuge spaces of the retaining lances inadvertently.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a housing and a front holder to which a structure for retaining a front holder in a housing of the invention is applied;
  • FIG. 2 is a front view showing the housing
  • FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along a line III--III of FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along a line IV--IV of FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing another mode of the front holder
  • FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a conventional doubly retained connector which includes a housing and a front holder;
  • FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a condition in which the front holder is inclined in the housing.
  • FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a relation between a flexion preventing plate portion and a refuge space in the condition in which the front holder is inclined in the housing.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a housing 11, to which the invention is applied, and a front holder 12 that is to be fitted into the housing 11 from an engagement surface side of the housing 11; and
  • FIG. 2 is a front view of the housing 11.
  • FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along a line III--III of FIG. 2; and
  • FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along a line IV--IV of FIG. 2.
  • the housing 11 has terminal receiving chambers 13 of two stories therein. Each terminal receiving chamber 13 passes through both ends of the housing 11 in an axial direction (in a direction of engagement with a mating connector).
  • the terminal receiving chambers 13 receive terminals 14, respectively.
  • a flexible retaining lance 17 is arranged so as to project from an inner wall 15 of each terminal receiving chamber 13 toward a surface 16 engageable with the terminal.
  • a retaining stepped portion 18 is formed on the distal end of the retaining lance 17.
  • a refuge space 19 is formed between the retaining lance 17 and the inner wall 15 of the terminal receiving chamber 13.
  • the retaining stepped portion 18 retains a retaining shoulder 20 of a terminal 14 accommodated in the terminal receiving chamber 13 so as to prevent the terminal 14 being inadvertently removed from the terminal receiving chamber 13. At this time, the retaining lance 17 is not flexed, so that the refuge space 19 is open. By inserting flexion preventing plates 21 of the front holder 12 into these refuge spaces 19, inadvertent flexion of the retaining lance 17 is blocked.
  • the front holder 12 includes a frame-forming main-body portion 22 and the flexion preventing plate portions 21 projecting from the frame-forming main-body portion 22.
  • the frame-forming main-body portion 22 is formed so as to be rectangular in shape by coupling plate portions 23 and frame plate portions 24.
  • Each coupling plate portion 23 couples the flexion preventing plate portions 21 in a parallel manner.
  • the frame plate portions 24 are formed on both sides of the coupling plate portions 23 so as to be orthogonal to the coupling plate portions 23.
  • the front holder 12 When the front holder 12 is set in a regularly retained position with respect to the housing 11, the front holder 12 regulates flexion of the retaining lance 17 because the flexion preventing plate portions 21 of the front holder 12 enter into the refuge spaces 19. Accordingly, when the front holder 12 is in the regularly retained position, the terminal 14 accommodated in the terminal receiving chamber 13 is doubly retained in the terminal receiving chamber 13 such that the retaining stepped portion 18 of the retaining lance 17 retain the terminal 14, and inadvertent flexion of the retaining lance 17 is regulated by the flexion preventing plate portion 21.
  • the flexion preventing plate portions 21 are evacuated from the refuge spaces 19 of the retaining lances 17. Under this condition, the retaining lances 17 can flex. Therefore, the terminal 14 is allowed to be inserted into the terminal receiving chamber 13.
  • the retaining lances 17 prevent the terminal 14 from being removed from the terminal receiving chamber 13 with the retaining stepped portion 18 retaining the retaining shoulder 20 of the terminal 14.
  • the terminal 14 can be pulled out of the terminal receiving chamber 13.
  • the front holder 12 includes inclination preventing portions 25 formed on the frame-forming main-body portion 22 thereof.
  • the inclination preventing portions 25 prevent an inclination of the front holder 12 so that the flexion preventing plate portions 21 cannot enter into the refuge spaces 19.
  • the inclination preventing portions 25 are extended portions 26 extending from the frame plate portions 24 in the same direction as the flexible preventing plate portions 21.
  • Each extended portion 26 is formed in such a manner that the lower half of the corresponding frame plate portion 24 is projected in the same direction as the flexion preventing plate portions 21, and is inserted into a guide groove portion (see FIG. 3) 27 formed in each of both sides across the width of the housing 11.
  • the front holder 12 is inclined with respect to the housing 11, the front end portion of one of the extended portions 26 abuts against the depth of the inner wall 29 of one of the guide groove portions 27, and the rear side of the other extended portion 26 abuts against the opening side of the inner wall 30 of the other guide groove portion 27.
  • the width L1 of the front holder 12 is set to a value smaller than the distance L2 between the guide groove portions 27, 27 of the housing 11. Therefore, the dimensions are set so that at least the extended portions 26 and the frame plate portions 24 can be inserted into the guide groove portions 27 smoothly.
  • the front holder 12 is attached to the housing 11.
  • the front holder 12 is inserted into the housing 11 from the engagement surface 16 side of the housing 11, and is retained in the temporarily retained position. Since the extended portions 26 of the front holder 12 are inserted into the guide groove portions 27 under this condition, the front holder 12 is checked from playing with respect to the housing 11. In addition, there is no possibility that the flexion preventing plate portions 21 of the front holder 12 will enter into the flexible places 19 inadvertently.
  • the terminal 14 can be inserted into and accommodated in the terminal receiving chamber 13 reliably.
  • the front holder 12 is pulled out of the housing 11 up to the temporarily retained position so that the flexion preventing plate portions 21 are released out of the refuge spaces 19.
  • the extended portions 26 check the front holder 12 set in the temporarily retained position from playing with respect to the housing 11, there is no possibility that the flexion preventing plate portions 21 will enter into the refuge spaces 19 inadvertently even if the front holder 12 gets inclined with respect to the housing 11. Therefore, by setting the front holder 12 in the temporarily retained position with respect to the housing 11, the terminal 14 can be pulled out of the terminal receiving chamber 13 reliably.
  • the front holder 12 is provided with the extended portions 26 that are to be inserted into the guide groove portions 27 of the housing 11.
  • the front holder 12 set in the temporarily retained position can be prevented from playing with respect to the housing 11, which in turn excludes the possibility that the flexion preventing plate portions 21 will enter into the refuge spaces 19 of the retaining lances 17 inadvertently.
  • a front holder 31 may be constructed in such a manner that the upper half of each frame plate portion 24 of the front holder 31 is extended to form extended portions 32 so as to project in the same direction as the flexion preventing plate portions 21.
  • the guide groove portions are arranged in the upper half portions on both sides in the width direction of the housing.

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  • Connector Housings Or Holding Contact Members (AREA)
US09/008,547 1997-01-17 1998-01-16 Structure for retaining front holder in housing Expired - Lifetime US5997352A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP00652397A JP3286195B2 (ja) 1997-01-17 1997-01-17 ハウジングへのフロントホルダの係止構造
JP9-006523 1997-01-17

Publications (1)

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US5997352A true US5997352A (en) 1999-12-07

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US09/008,547 Expired - Lifetime US5997352A (en) 1997-01-17 1998-01-16 Structure for retaining front holder in housing

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US (1) US5997352A (de)
EP (1) EP0854544B1 (de)
JP (1) JP3286195B2 (de)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6165011A (en) * 1998-01-21 2000-12-26 Yazaki Corporation Double-retaining connector
US20070020997A1 (en) * 2005-07-19 2007-01-25 Yazaki Corporation Double engaged connector
US20190181589A1 (en) * 2017-12-13 2019-06-13 Erwan Guillanton Electrical distribution assembly

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2012156045A (ja) * 2011-01-27 2012-08-16 Sumitomo Wiring Syst Ltd コネクタ
CN102856728B (zh) * 2011-06-28 2015-08-26 比亚迪股份有限公司 一种导向卡扣及具有该导向卡扣的端子护套

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2281453A (en) * 1993-08-31 1995-03-01 Whitaker Corp Electrical connector
DE19622805A1 (de) * 1995-06-07 1996-12-12 Yazaki Corp Verbindungsvorrichtung
US5597325A (en) * 1995-01-31 1997-01-28 Yazaki Corporation Double-lock connector
US5782658A (en) * 1995-04-26 1998-07-21 Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd. Tubular supporting structure

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3731259A (en) * 1971-07-02 1973-05-01 Bunker Ramo Electrical connector
JPH0734575U (ja) * 1993-12-06 1995-06-23 住友電装株式会社 コネクタ
JP3131064U (ja) 2007-02-07 2007-04-19 伯方塩業株式会社 塩の小出し容器

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2281453A (en) * 1993-08-31 1995-03-01 Whitaker Corp Electrical connector
US5597325A (en) * 1995-01-31 1997-01-28 Yazaki Corporation Double-lock connector
US5782658A (en) * 1995-04-26 1998-07-21 Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd. Tubular supporting structure
DE19622805A1 (de) * 1995-06-07 1996-12-12 Yazaki Corp Verbindungsvorrichtung

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6165011A (en) * 1998-01-21 2000-12-26 Yazaki Corporation Double-retaining connector
US20070020997A1 (en) * 2005-07-19 2007-01-25 Yazaki Corporation Double engaged connector
US7264505B2 (en) * 2005-07-19 2007-09-04 Yazaki Corporation Double engaged connector
US20190181589A1 (en) * 2017-12-13 2019-06-13 Erwan Guillanton Electrical distribution assembly
US10476207B2 (en) * 2017-12-13 2019-11-12 Aptiv Technologies Limited Electrical distribution assembly

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JP3286195B2 (ja) 2002-05-27
JPH10199604A (ja) 1998-07-31
EP0854544A1 (de) 1998-07-22
EP0854544B1 (de) 2011-09-21

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